Method of feeding and operating gas engines



, 5 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. EI'NASE. METEGD 0E EEEDING AND OPERATING GAS ENGINES.

Patented Jan. l2, 1886.

(N0 Model.)

No. 334,040.v

5 vSheets- Sheet 2.

(No Moel.)

No. 334,040. Patented Jan. 12,' 1886.

www@

Invenzion- I j (No Model.) 5Sheets-Sheet 3.

L. E. NASH.

METHOD OE FEEDING AND OPERATING GAS ENGINES.

No. 334,040.y Patented Jan. l2, 1886.

\\ g ASM W I TJVESSEIS' Y VEN @MM ff (No Model.) 5 sheets-sheet 4.

L. H. NASH.

METHOD 0E EEEDINGANE @EE-EATING GAS ENGINES.'

No. 334,040. Patented Jan. 12, 1886.

E mm N ZL'g-- I EEE i. www

(No Model.) l5 sheets-sheet 5.

L. H. NASH.

lMETHOD vOF EEEDING AND OPERATING GAS ENGINES.

No. 334,040. Patented Jan. 12, 1886.

IJvVEwzo'R I Attorneys.l

IlNrrnn rares LE\VIS HAIJIIOOK N ASH, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL METER COMPANY, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF FEEDING AND' OPERATING GAS-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,040, dated January 12l 1886.

Application tiled August '20, 1S85.

To all whom it 'n1/ay concern.-

Be it known that I, Lnwis HALLocx Nasi-I, acitizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Feeding and Operating Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has forits object an improved 1a method of forming the charge to supply a engine, whereby a perfectly uniform mixture of gas and air is formed by means of a single independent compression-pump, wherein they are compressed in an imperiectly-mixed charge r 5 which, in being forced into the passages connecting the combustion-chamber, thoroughly mixes the constituents therein before ignition, and thereby obtain a complete combustion of the charge. In thus feeding the engine the zo successive charges already mixed are coutrolled by a governor in the operation of the engine. The proper mixture of the gas and air to obtain perfect combustion cannot be effected in a single-power cylinder, because it 2 5 not only requires a definite measurement of the constituents of the charge, but also an intimate and uniform admixture of these coustituents before their ignition in the powercylinder. Therefore I admit the constituents 3o into a compression-chamber independent of the power-cylinder. I measure each constituent in the compressor by the space moved over by the compressor-piston. I compress the constituents partially inamixed condition, and force the volume so compressed through a valved passage into a storage-reservoir in completely-mixed relation, whose proportions ofgas and air are determined in quantities, so as to render it certain that the engine cannot 4o receive more than the proper amount of charge required for a regular speed au d power of the engine.

By my method the compression of the combustible charge is eifected after the measurement of the separate constituents which'inake the charge, and this cannot be effected within the combustion-chamber and obtain a perfect mixture, as proposed in English Patents Nos. 1,655 of 1857 and 335 of 1860,where1n the 5o combustible charge is admitted into the combustion-chamber in separately-measured con- Serial No. 174,894. (No model.)

stituents of gas and air. I also know that Otto, in his United States Patent of August 14, 1877, forms within the combustion-chamber a combustible mixture having varying degrees of density. I am also aware that in patents granted to Baldwin under dates of May l, 1883, November 6, 1883, and December 18, 1883, the charge of gas and air are measured iu separate and independent compression- 6o chambers, and are then passed in separate volumes into the power-cylinder wherein the constituents are for the first time brought together and mixed. In fact, in these patents it is provided that the constituents of the charge 6 5 shall not be mixed before their introduction into the power-cylinder. Moreover, as I pre'- fer -to store the perfectly-mixed gases in a reservoir, having in practice found such storage safe from explosion, it is not necessary that 7o the compression-pump should measure the quantity of charge required for each stroke of the engine, as the storage of the mixed constituents permits of the supply of the charge to any number of power-cylinders, and therefore measurement of the constituents is not necessarily effected to form every charge. I seek to form au intimate uniform gaseous mixture in the operation of forcing it from the compression-pump through a valved passage 8o into the combustion-chamber, or into a storagereservoir, and this in connection with the measuring action of a compressor-piston, s o far as I know and can find, is new, and I believe better than any method that I know of for supplying successive charges of combustible mixture to a gas-engine.

By my improved method of forming the charge I am able to form a perfectly-mixed charge of measured proportions by the use of 9o a single compression-cylinder for both gas and air, thereby securing the advantage of simplicity in the construction of the engine, and also of obtaining a perfectly uniform mixture of gas and air, so that the engine will operate with perfect regularity. My method also contemplates storage of the compressed mixture of uniform density within a storage-reservoir in which the pressure is maintained' uniformly at any degree desired.

In the construction shown I use two coacting power-cylinders supplied from the reserlOO voir, and the engine-governor admits a charge to each power-cylinder just the quantity of this uniform mixture required to do the work of the engine. By this means of regulating the power of the engine the speed of its running will be as regular as that of a steam-engine, since every charge is composed of the same uniform combustible mixture, but in quantities varying according to the work.

An organized double-acting` gas-engine composed of single-acting cylinders placed in line is represented in the accompanying drawings as one type of engine for carrying out my improved method of forming a combustible miX 5 ture and of operating the engine, in which-- Figure l represents in elevation a gasengine of separate and distinct coacting singleacting power-cylinders placed in line, and showing their valvegovernor-operating connections. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section taken through the coacting power-cylindcrs and the compressor. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section of the compressor and mixing-valve, showing the compressor as taking in gas. Fig. 4 represents a similar section showing the inlet-ports for the gas and air closed just as the compressor'piston begins its return-stroke. Fig. 5 represents a similar section showing the position of the mixingvalve when the compressor-piston is on its forward stroke, taking in air. Fig. 6 represents a similar section showing the mixing-valve asjust having closed its airport and ready to open its gas-port. Fig. 7

5 shows in section the connection ot the supplyvalve case with the combustion-chamber.

Fig. 8 shows the governor device; Fig. 9, the

relief-valve.

Referring to Figs. l and 2, the engineframe o A supports separate and distinct trunk-eylin ders, A A2, in the same horizontal line, each cylinder having its combustion chamber formed by sepa-rate cylindrical caps, D D2, within which operate a double-ended plunger, 5 B' B2, suitably connecting with and operating the power-transmitting shaft l of the balancewheel. The supply-valve cases JJare mounted directly upon the combustion-chambers, and one of said valvecases is shown in section 3 with its slide-valve and its connectingrod f3,

which, by means of the leVer-armf is connected with the governor device ofthe balancewheel. A compression-eylinder is placed in the frame, preferably beneath one of the power- 5 cylinders, for compressing the charge for the engine, and the power-transmitting shaft I is mounted in the frame beneath the other cylinder and connections for this shaft. The compressor-piston and the doubleended plunger are made with a rocker-arm, G, which is pivoted at g to the foot of the frame, and rising from said pivot passes at its upper end into an opening, B3, made in the middle of the length ofthe doubleended plunger, to which it is connected by means of separate and distinct plunger-rods between the trunk-bearing cylinders of the plunger, so as to drive the rocker-arm back 4and forth with the movement of the double-ended plunger. Between the pivot of the rocker-arm and its connection with the double-ended plunger the crank-shaft and the compressorpiston are connected to the rocker-arm by con necting-rods a b, standing in opposite directions, so that the back and forth movements of the rocker-arm G will drive the piston ofthe compressor on one side of the rocker-arm and drive the crank-shaft on its opposite side. This places the rockerarm between the power-cylinder and the compressor and the crank-shalt in a compact arrangement to utilize the rectilinear movement of the double-ended plunger. rFhe connections of the double-ended plunger with the pivoted rocker-arm have rolling or rocking bearings for reducing the friction and accomn1odating the movement described bythe rockerarm. One ofthe rocker-arm bearings is made adjustable, fortaking up the wear of the bearings.

The supply-valves for the combustion-cham bers are operated by the connecting-rod f3, and controlled by a governor or device carried by the balauce-wheel. One of these slide supplyvalves is shown in such connection with a governor device carried by the balancewheel, and in its connection with the compression-pump and storage-reservoir in lFig. l, and in communication with the combustion` chamber in Fig. 7.

I deem it unnecessary to specifically describe the governor device, since it is the subject of a separate and distinct application for a patent filed by me of even date herewith, further than to state that the valve-connecting rod f3 is connected to said governor device by a lever-arm, f4, which is operated by a cam, 2, placed loosely upon the crank-shalt aud controlled by suitable weights, 3, pivoted to the rim of the ily-wheel, which are controlled in their movements by springs Li, one for each weight, as shown in Fig. 8. The backward movement ofthe valve is effected by a spring, 5, which I prefer to arrangein the valvecase.

I deem it unnecessary also to specifically describe the supply-valves further than to state that they (the valves of both cylinders) are in communication with the compressor and storage-reservoir by the pipes A4 A5. (shown in elevation in Fig. 1,) the compressed products being discharged from the compressor into the'reservoir A3 by the pipeconnection A, from whence the charges are conveyed by the pipes A5 to the supply-valves.

I will now describe the mixing-valve in connection with my improved method ot' forming a uniform combustible mixture. rIlhis valve is a simple slide-valve, L, iitted ina case, 7c, having a bearing-piece, ki', at one side containing the port r, connecting,by the passage 7a4, with the compressioncylinder H2, and at the other side of the case is placed the air-inlet port k2 and the gas-inlet port la, which are controlled by the valve-port Z, asshown in the several detail views. The valve is operated IOO IIO

IIS

by the cam L on the crank-shaft and the lcver L* and the connecting-rod L", the said lever being pivoted to theframe and maintained in contact with the cam by a spring, L5, preferably placed in the valve-case, which serves to constantly pull back the valve, and thereby take up the lost motion, which would otherwise occur from the wear of the connections.

The measuring action of the compressorpiston and valve L is best illustrated in Fig. 4, in which the position of the piston during the operation of admitting the products are indicated by dotted lines; and, referring to said figure, now. suppose the piston to have just completed its back-stroke forcing out a charge, and is now at the beginning ofits forward stroke. The cylinder clearancespaces will contain a certain quantity of compressed gases of the previous charge, which will expand as the piston advances until a point is reached where their pressure is reduced to that of the atmosphere. At this point in the stroke (indicated by dotted line 6, Fig. 4) the valve opens the port k2 to take in air and the piston advances, drawing in an air-charge, as shown in Fig. 5, until the piston has reached the position of line 7, Fig. 4, which position of parts is shown in Fig. 6. At this instant the valve quickly closes the air-port lcisand opens the gas-port k3, and the piston now draws in gas, as shown in Fig. 3. At the end of the stroke the valve quickly closes to shut off both air and gas, as shown in Fig. 4, and the return of the piston forces the charge through the valve It and pipe A* to the storage-reservoir A3, where it is held ready for use. (See Fig. 2.) Hence while the piston is moving the distance between the lines 6 and 7 a volume of air will enter the cylinder-chamber equal to the volume of the cylinder between these points; and while the piston is traveling from 7 to 8 a volume of gas will enter the cylinder equal to the volume of the cylinder between these points and the relative amount o'f gas to air taken in at that stroke will be proportional to the volume between these positions ofthe piston.

It will be understood that the air and gas do not in reality occupy the positions indicated by these dotted lines, for when the gas enters in a iiowing stream through the channel 7c it will circulate within the cylinder and mix to a large extent with the charge already contained therein; but the movement of the piston will be the correct measure of the volume ofthe constituent entering at that time, since it is the suction caused by the movement of the piston which causes the intlowing current which supplies just enough of gas or air to iill the space behind the piston as fast as t-he pistonadvances, and the volume of each constituentis thus determined by the distance moved by the piston during the time the constituent is being admitted.

By the back-stroke of the piston the gases 1re compressed and forced out through the valve h, and pass through the pipes Al into the storage-reservoir. To prevent the pressure in the reservoir from becoming too great,

I provide a relief-valve, r2, (shown in vertical section in Fig. 1,) upon the side of the engineframe, which will allow of the escape of the compressed gases after the pressure reaches a certain point in the same manner as the safetyvalve of a steam-boiler. The gas so escaping I may return to the compressor through the air-supply pipe It?, and again force it into the reservoir.

The safety-valve consists of a case, R, having a poppet-valve, r2, seated therein to control the escape-passage R. The valve is. secured to a disk-piston, r', which forms the cover of the valve-chamber, and is sealed in relation to the latter by a diaphragm, r, secured at the joining of said disk-piston. The valve is maintained upon its seat by a spring, r3, conned in an extension, R3, of the valvecase, and having its tension adjusted by a screw-cap, rt. The chamber of the valve-case connects with the pipes of the reservoir, so that t-he pressure of the gas in the latter will be constantly exerted upon the disk-piston 1", and tend to open the valve. Therefore when the pressure in the reservoir increases sufficient to overcome the tension of the spring it will raise the valve, and thereby allow of the escape ofthe gases from the reservoir through the valve-chamber and pipe R, and thereby maintain a constant pressure in the reservoir, and the engine receive chargesv under a uniform pressure.

In the operation of the engine the supplyvalves open at the beginning of the stroke of the pistons, admitting the uniformly-mixed charge while the piston is advancing. When a suiicient quantity ofthe charge has been admitted, as determined by the governor, the valve quickly closes the supply-ports and the charge is ignited, driving the piston forward by its expansion to the end of its stroke and opening` the exhaust-ports.

The force of each charge is regulated by the governor, as follows, viz: When the engine is developing light power, the governor causes the supply-valve to cut otf the inlet of the charge at an early point in the stroke, and therefore only a small amount of the uniform combustible mixture will be admitted; but when the engine is developing agreater amount of power the governor causes the valves to admit the charge through a greater portion of the stroke of the piston, whereby a greater charge is admitted and more power developed by the engine. In this controlling action of the governor a very important result is obtained, viz: Vhether the engine is developing a large or small amount of power every charge will be composed of a gaseous mixture having exactly the same density-that is, composed of a charge containing the proper proportions of gas and air to give the best economical results, and therefore every charge, whether large or small, will be equally adapted for developing power with economy, because I use IIO all the time the same proportions of gas to air in the charge, whether the engine be develop` ing a greater 0r less amount of power. It is from this cause that I obtain the advantage of operating the engine with the same economy of fuel under all conditions of the working of the engine, which is not the case with engines which are governed by varying the proportions of the combustible mixture to regulate the power of the engine. To illustrate this point: All the gas-engines in use, so far as I know, must operate to their full capacity of power to give the greatest economy in the use ofthe fuel under conditions in which the charge is composed ofthe most efficient proportions of gas and air. On the contrary, in order to develop less power aweaker combustible mix` ture must be used without giving the same economical results, and this is the disadvantage which my method of' governing the engine is designed to avoid.

I have shown my engine as adapted to compress its own charge; but it will bennderstood that my method of governing the engine may be carried out by an engine in which the charge is composed by a compressor driven by an independent source of power.

The engine, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in its parts, devices, and combinations is not claimed herein, as such matter is made the subject of separate and distinct ap plications by me.

I claim- 1. The method herein described of feeding a gasengine, which consists in measuring each constituent separately by admitting each separately into a compression-philip during atime corresponding to a definite movement of the piston, compressing the constituents in their imperfectly .mixed state, and effecting their complete mixing in their passageinto the power-cylinder, as set forth.

2. The method herein described of feeding agas-engine, which consists in measuring each constituent separately by admitting each in separate succession into a compression-pump during a time corresponding to a definite movement of the piston, and compressing the partially-mixed constituents into a supply-reservoir, as described.

3. The method herein described of forming a gaseous mixture, which consistsin measuring each constituent separately, by admitting each separately into a cylinder during a time corresponding to a definite movement of the piston, and completely effecting the mixingof the separate constituents by forcing them out of said cylinder into service-pipes, as described.

4:. The method herein described of operating and governing the power of an explosive gas engine, which consists in measuring each constituent separately into a cylinder during a time corresponding to a definite movement of the piston, mixing them to the same density under all conditions ofthe running of the en' gine, and controlling the power of the engine by varying the volume ofthe charge by agevernor, as described.

5. The method herein described ofgoverning the power ofan explosive-gas engine, which. consists in forming an intimate gaseous mixture of uniform density,admitting it in charges into the powervcylindcr, igniting the charge therein, and controlling the power of the engine by a governor, which regulates the quantity of the uniform combustible mixture for each charge, as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing wit nesses.

LEWIS HALLOCK NASH.

Vtvitnesses:

A. E. H. JOHNSON, J. W. HAMILTON JOHNsON. 

